Human Rights in Islam JSIS 487 B Winter 2019 University of Washington, Seattle Instructor: Denis Bašić, Ph.D. Contact: [email protected] Course website: http://depts.washington.edu/HRIslam/ Meeting on: W F 9:30 AM - 11:20 AM Meeting at: Smith 305 Office Hours: W F 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM and by appointment Office Location: Thomson 329 • What students can expect to learn from this course? Ever since its adoption and promulgation in 1948, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) has been criticized in some parts of the world as culturally biased, insensitive, and centered around the Western secularist values. Thus, as a response to the UN UDHR, in 1981, a group of Islamic scholars proposed the Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights (UIDHR). A great many ideas from the latter document can be found in the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) adopted in 1990 by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and signed by forty-five member states at the time, among them secularist Turkey and theocratic Iran. In 2004, The Arab League adopted the Arab Charter on Human Rights (ACHR), which has as its ultimate goal “the protection of universal and interrelated human rights.” In 2008, the OIC established its Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) that adheres to “promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all people without distinction as to race, sex, or religion.” In spite of these generally acceptable attitudes expressed in the mentioned Islamic documents, nonetheless, many scholars still question the compatibility between the Islamic and Western visions of human rights. In this course we shall be exploring precisely the question of compatibility of the Western and Islamic understandings of “universal human rights” while analyzing the current human rights issues in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region alongside appropriate religious scriptures and historical documents. • General method of instruction Students are strongly encouraged to attend lectures and to participate in class discussions. Among other materials, lectures will include educational documentary movies related to the main themes of the course. • Participation in class discussions Participation in class discussions (10%) is very important for the full success in the course. Students can make up for the lack of participation in class discussions by writing a 5-page double-spaced (Times New Roman Font 12 pts) summary of the missed material. The same applies to students who are shy to speak in class. Instead of speaking, students can always submit via email a one double-spaced page or longer commentary on one or more issues #2 discussed in class. • Recommended preparation for success in the course Reading the assigned materials in advance, as well as a regular participation in class discussions will ensure a complete success in the course. Study the lecture notes and study guides available on the website. Prepare answers to the questions in advance. The exams will be composed of some of these same questions. • Class Assignments There will be two exams – the midterm exam covering the materials of the first five weeks of the course and the final exam covering the materials of the last five weeks. Students are also required to write a 15-page, double-spaced term paper (Times New Roman font 12pts, footnotes in Times New Roman font 10pts, single-spaced), using the primary and/ or secondary literature. Students should select a topic for their paper during the first two weeks of the course. While all topics have to be broadly related to the Human Rights in the Muslim world, students are advised to narrow down their topics geographically and / or in terms of the number of issues covered to make their projects feasible. An outline of the term paper is due on the day of the midterm exam (February 13.) The final version of the term paper is due on the last day of instructions (March 15). • Extra Credit If students want to improve their final grade, they are allowed to write up to two 5-page, double-spaced extra credit essays (TNR font 12 pts) on subjects pertaining to the course materials (summaries of a relevant public lectures given on campus or elsewhere are acceptable.) • Basis on which grades are assigned Participation in discussions 10%, midterm exam 35%, final exam 35%, and term paper 20%. Students will be graded on the curve for the two exams. The exams are non-cumulative. Clarity of thoughts expressed in discussions and the paper, reliability of sources used, and creativity and effort will be rewarded with more points. Grades will be assigned following the standard grade scale. • Course Materials Shireen Hunter, ed., Islam and Human Rights : Advancing a U.S.-Muslim Dialogue, Wahington, DC : The CSIS Press, 2005 and Mahmood Monshipouri, ed., Human Rights in the Middle East : Frameworks, Goals, and Strategies, New York : Palgrave MacMillan, 2011 Online materials as indicated on the course’s website http://courses.washington.edu/HRIslam/ #3 Class Schedule (this class schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor) Week I January 9 & 11 Topics: • Introduction to the course • Evolving Concepts of Human Rights Readings: • Hunter, ed., Islam and Human Rights, introduction & chapters 1 & 2, pp. 1-26 Electronic readings: • Lecture Notes & Study Guide # 1 Videos: • Aayan Hirsi Ali, On Islam, Democracy, & Human Rights • Sheikh Hussain Yee on Human Rights in Islam Week II January 16 & 18 Topic: • Framing The Human Rights Discourse • Compatibility of Islam with Human Rights Readings: • Hunter, ed., Islam and Human Rights, chapter 3, pp. 27-42 • Monshipouri, ed., Human Rights in the Middle East, chapters 1 & 2, pp. 27-56 Electronic Readings: • Universal Declaration of Human rights (1948) • Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam (1990) • Lecture Notes & Study Guides # 1 & # 2 Week III January 23 & 25 Topics: • Islam & Human Rights : Ideals & Practices • Human Rights Through the Lens of Islamic Legal Thought Readings: • Monshipouri, ed., Human Rights in the Middle East, chapter 3, pp. 57-72 Electronic Readings: • The Qur’an, 5:40-86 (The Qur’an on the Jewish, Christian, Muslim relations in Medina in the 7th century and on their theological differences) • Lecture Notes & Study Guide # 3 #4 Week IV January 30 & February 1 Topics: • Islamophobia, Defamation of Religion & International Human Rights • The Sunni-Shia Divide Readings: • Monshipouri, ed., Human Rights in the Middle East, chapter 4, pp. 73-90 Electronic Readings: • The Sunni-Shia Divide by the Council on Foreign Reations (video & article) • The Origins of the Shiite-Sunni Split by the NPR (podcast & article) • Lecture Notes & Study Guides # 3 and # 4 Videos: Reza Aslan vs. the Islamophobes Do we have the right to offend? by BBC - Parts 1 & 2 Week V February 6 & 8 Topics: • Women’s Rights in Islam: Normative Teaching vs. Practice • Case study: Turkey : Women’s Rights in Turkey • Case study: Iran: Women’s Rights and other Human Rights Readings: • Hunter, ed., Islam and Human Rights, chapter 4, pp. 43-66 • Monshipouri, ed., Human Rights in the Middle East, chapter 6 & 7, pp. 111-152 Electronic Readings: • Female Circumcision in Islam by Reza Aslan • Female Genital Mutilation by Stop FGM Middle East • FGM by WHO • FGM by UNICEF • Lecture Notes & Study Guide # 5 Week VI February 13 & 15 February 13 – Midterm Exam Reminder : An outline of the term paper is due on the midterm exam. Please, also submit an electronic copy of your outline via e-mail to the instructor’s email address. February 15 Topics: • Minority Rights in Islam : From Dhimmi to Citizen #5 Readings: • Hunter, ed., Islam and Human Rights, chapter 5, pp. 67-99 Electronic Readings: • Pact of Caliph Umar with Syrian Christians (manuscript 1) • Pact of Caliph Umar with Syrian Christians (manuscript 2) • Qur’an 9:1-36 • Lecture Notes & Study Guide # 6 Video: • Wafa Sultan vs. Sheikh Bakri on the Dhimmis Week VII February 20 & 22 Topics: • Minorities and Marginalized Communities in the Middle East • Case Study : The Kurds, The Druze, The Copts • Human Rights of Sexual Minorities in the Middle East Readings: • Monshipouri, ed., Human Rights in the Middle East, chapter 5, pp. 91-110 • Monshipouri, ed., Human Rights in the Middle East, chapter 8, pp. 153-170 • Monshipouri, ed., Human Rights in the Middle East, chapter 9, pp. 171-188 Electronic Readings: • Lecture Notes & Study Guides # 6 & # 7 Videos: • The Druze of Israel by Social TV see chapters 1, 2, & 3 • The Druze: Israelis or Syrians? by the Media Online, see parts 1 & 2 • Who are The Kurds? • The Coptic Christians of Egypt by CBS 60 minutes • Homosexuality: An Islamic Perspective by Dr. Shabir Ally • Homosexuality: A Different Islamic Perspective by Dr. Zakir Naik • Homosexuality in Islam by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf • What is it like to be gay and Muslim? gay Imam Ludovic Mohammad Zahed explains Extra Credit Videos: • A Jihad for Love (2008) - filmed in 12 countries in 9 languages • Transsexual in Iran (parts 1-6) Week VIII February 27 & March 1 Topics: • Democratic Uprisings in the Arab World #6 • Counterterrorism, Nation-Building, & Human Rights in the Middle East • The Causes of Muslim Countries’ Poor Record of Human Rights Readings: • Monshipouri, ed., Human Rights in the Middle East, chapters 10 & 11, pp. 189-226 • Hunter, ed., Islam and Human Rights, chapter 6, pp. 100-110 Electronic Readings: • Arab Monarchies: Surviving the Revolts by Al-Akhbar • Arab Monarchies: Chance for Reforms, Yet Unmet; the Carnegie Papers • Lecture Notes & Study Guide # 8 Videos: • Structural Causes of War : a lecture by Antonia Juhasz • Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think? by Gallup • Empire: What Future for the Arab World by Al-Jazeera Week IX March 6 & 8 Topics: • Rights of Migrant Workers : the Case of the UAE • Health and Human Rights in Palestine Readings: • Monshipouri, ed., Human Rights in the Middle East, chapters 12 & 13, pp.